Wholesale prices have climbed 4% over the past 12 months, but the core rate has risen at a much slower pace — 1.3%.

Low inflation is generally viewed positively, but sometimes it reflects weak conditions in the economy. Economists say the slow U.S. recovery and stiff global competition have mostly kept a lid on domestic inflation, though the price of many commodities has risen sharply on a global level.

Prices for intermediate goods, meanwhile, increased 1.0% in December. The rate of increase in intermediate prices at the wholesale level stands at 2.9% over the past 12 months.

Excluding food and energy, prices for intermediate goods were up 0.4% in December. The core intermediate PPI is viewed as a key leading indicator of inflation.

Prices for crude goods jumped 4.0% in December, mainly because of the higher energy costs.

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